Badges of Conquest? Have no fear!

This is a guest post by Aerislan.

With all of this talk concerning Ulduar and the upcoming 3.1 patch, there has been some discussion about a new badge system and there rewards. The new badges, Badges of Conquest, are a hot topic of discussion and you can buy some really nice gear with them!

So let’s start with the basics…

WHAT are Badges of Conquest?

Badges of Conquest, or “Ulduar Badges”, are badges that drop off of bosses in Heroic Ulduar. These badges are the result of Blizzard’s new tiered system of badges. Now, unlike BC, the gear you get with badges scales with the content that you participate in.

Alright…What can hunters get with these new badges??

With new patches always comes new loot for all classes. And this patch is no different. Hunters have some fine pickings with badges in 3.1

• Leggings of the Tireless Sentry — at 32 badges a pop (think about that as 32 bosses in Ulduar must die..)
• Belt of the Ardent Marksman – weighing in at 23 badges
• Gloves of Unerring Aim — matching size with the belt, also 23 new badges
• Broach of the Wailing Night …I know what your thinking, ew to Armor Penetration, but who knows it could be viable in 3.1

Now your probably thinking, “Imjor, I worked so hard to get all my best-in-slot items, are they worthless now compared to the new badge gear?!”

The current best-in-slot legs for us Hunters are Leggings of Failed Escape, honestly, they’re quite comparable. Both are about even when gemmed up and enchanted. Tough decision, but you could probably save your badges for later down the road.

Now the best in slot waist, Torn Web Wrapping, is a nice piece, but because these badge items and most best in slot items are 213 level, all these pieces will be comparable. It really just comes down to what you like. The new belt focuses on more haste, which is needed by many Hunters, and Torn Web Wrapping focuses on Critical Rating. It’s really up to you here.

Gloves of Calculated Risk are the best gloves for Hunters at this time. They are strikingly worse than the badge gloves shown above, but once again, you’re trading Crit for Haste. (Personally, I think Blizzard is trying to tell us something here.) If you’re Survival, you’re probably already high on Crit, so these new gloves wouldn’t be a bad idea.

According to Shandara’s spreadsheet, and tested by Lassirra herself, Fool’s Trial (I know, I disagree too) is best-in-slot for hunters in 3.0. I’d say our new badge item is a bit worse. I have never been a big fan of Armor Penetration (never really saw a need, I guess), and I like the Hit and attack power that’s found on Fool’s Trial.

So what should you be getting come patch time?

1. Get the Gloves of Unerring Aim for 23 badges
2. If you feel like it, get Belt of the Ardent Marksman to get rid of your old Naxx belt.
3. Pass over the legs and neck upgrades, because they’re barely comparable to what you probably already have.

OK? So what about the other badges in WoTLK

Well everyone is wondering what will happen to their precious badges earned when the patch hits. Some worried that their badges will become useless (Badges of Justice anyone?). But don’t you worry! You’ll still use these badges and probably still earn them.

• Your 5 man heroics will render Emblems of Heroism
• 10 man pre 3.1 will still drop Emblems of Heroism
• 25 man pre 3.1 will drop Emblems of Valor
• 10 man Ulduar will drop Emblems of Valor

With still getting the older badges, you can buy your alts heirloom items, yourself PvP gear and off-set gear. This also allows for characters just hitting 80 an opportunity to get geared up for tougher content.

Wrap up

I must say that Blizzard has put some innovation into this new tiered badge system. Less (and worse) badge gear than you might feel used to, but keep in mind all of the drops that will be coming in Ulduar 10 and 25, and also remember that most of these items are all iLevel 213, so points are just redistributed in different manners.

In a bit of time, you can expect an overview of all the gear coming in 3.1 for us hunters.

Note: http://forums.thehuntersmark.net/viewtopic.php?f=42&t=59 was referenced for the best in slot comparisons